SWOT Analysis for CH2M Hill Strengths Essay Example for Free

SWOT Analysis for CH2M Hill Strengths Essay CH2M Hill has many strengths within the company; some of which will be identified in this section. CH2M Hill is a well established brand name with lots of successful Government projects and private projects including the Program Management of the Olympic venues for the 2012 London Olympics. The company has a well defined code of ethics, outlined in â€Å"Jim’s Little Yellow Book†, that each employee should follow and an anonymous hotline, The Guideline, to notify the company of observed ethics violations. CH2M Hill is employee owned through an internal common stock market, giving the employees buy-in into policies and procedures (BUS100mottariano, n.d.). The company has a diversified revenue stream utilizing various areas of expertise in several engineering aspects. CH2M Hill offers full-service capabilities in various business components, among three key operating divisions, Water, Energy Facilities; Government, Environment Infrastructure; and International. Business groups served include: Water; Transportation; Operations and Maintenance; Government Facilities and Infrastructure; Nuclear; Environmental; Energy and Chemicals; Power; and Industrial and Advanced Technology. CH2M Hill developed, upholds and brings out its own process for organization projects for clients, called the CH2M HILL Project Delivery System. This system is such a comprehensive proven system that other firms have engaged CH2M Hill for training and a book has been publish by the firm on the process (Free SWOT Analysis, 2013). Weaknesses Along with its strengths, CH2M Hill also has weaknesses that it needs to overcome to maintain its level of success. The company is rather large and occupies many offices around the world making it difficult to enforce the code of ethics it is so known for in the industries it serves. CH2M Hill has difficulty ensuring compliance to regulations while performing work in so many different states and countries, opening it up to fines and lawsuits. The firm has acquired and merged with other companies to increase its diversity and market position but in turn has had troubles ensuring that these new acquisitions conform to regular practices (BUS100mottariano, n.d.). With the joint ventures CH2M Hill has entered into has come the inability to determine the exact effectiveness of that division where  failure will lead to recognized losses. The firm’s high tech nature and complete reliance on computers and systems makes it vulnerable to financial losses and reputation loss if any of their networks or systems were to fail. CH2M Hill has an employment disadvantage as its existing work force continues to get older every year due to a declining incoming work force and its inability to attract or hire younger professional personnel (Wikidot, n.d.). Opportunities The external market and business factors have created opportunities for CH2M Hill. As other countries develop their sustainable energy futures, there is great opportunity to work in these countries in energy development, one of the main business groups of CH2M Hill. During the course of projects CH2M Hill employees work alongside many subcontractors who could be acquired in the future so that the firm could offer whole project delivery. CH2M Hill‘s management is heavily involved in corporate responsibility activities that can increase the public view of the company (BUS100mottariano, n.d.). The cost leadership that CH2M Hill enjoys as its market strategy has positioned it in the market, enabling it to become the most documented name in the business. This provides an opening for attracting new clients to its web of customers (Free SWOT Analysis, 2013). As developing countries or developed countries look to upgrade their deteriorating infrastructures, CH2M Hill who is known for resource and infrastructure management will have a greater potential client pool. CH2M Hill who has succeeded in form their own 100% secured cloud could offer rentable cloud computing networks for small companies. C2HM Hill has vast experience in the asset management business and could offer this skill to others in North America. Although CH2M Hill has much experience in water management, they tend to work in smaller markets with the global water shortage the larger markets, such as China, are becoming more attractive. CH2M Hill could utilize its vast experience and expertise in renewable energy to gain new projects as the global market demand for cleaner energy resources increases. In addition to operational and maintenance aid in this increasing energy segment CH2M Hill could offer facilities management consultation to these plants (Wikidot, n.d.). Threats Threats to CH2M Hill will come from many different sources; we will discuss some of them below. A declining global economy with less money to invest in infrastructure and private projects will affect the amount of jobs to bid on. Even when there are jobs to bid competitors responding to requests for quotes and proposals can under bid and win projects over CH2M Hill (BUS100mottariano, n.d.). When jobs are won the unpredictable economic cycles could result in the failure of clients to pay their fees to CH2M Hill. To win certain jobs CH2M Hill must rely on subcontractors and suppliers opening them up to any issues that company may have. Unstable economic and industry pricing could lead to losses especially in fixed price contracts. Tightening of and ever changing environmental regulations can make it hard for CH2M Hill to keep up with the changes (BUS100mottariano, n.d.). With CH2M Hills many government projects changes in and functions of government spending priorities can affecting future revenues and even contract risk of termination. Being a part of the consumer industry and dealing with the consumption of fast moving consumer goods, CH2M Hill is highly affected by market trends worldwide. CH2M Hill suffers from the same employment that all North American companies face with the shrinking of the qualified labor force. International business and market risks relating to security corruption, weather and governmental policies threaten projects that CH2M Hill tries to win (Wikidot, n.d.). References BUS100mottariano. (n.d.). SWOT analysis. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/email.vccs.edu/bus100mottariano/home/swot-analysis Free SWOT Analysis. (2013). SWOT Analysis on CH2M Hill. Retrieved from http://www.freeswotanalysis.com/construction/596-swot-analysis-on-ch2m-hill.html Wikidot. (n.d.). CH2MHill Business Model. Retrieved from http://civ1299bmreview.wikidot.com/ Wikidot. (n.d.). CIV1299 intermin report. Retrieved from http://interimreport.wikidot.com/#toc4

Shakespeares Hamlet and Gertrude: Love or Hate? :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet and Gertrude: Love or Hate Imagine it, while away at college you receive word that your beloved father who had seemed in good health only a short while ago has died leaving your mother and yourself. This situation would be enough to bring great depression to even the strongest of souls but for Hamlet, the fictional prince of Denmark in Shakespeare's play of the same name, this is not his imagination but cruel reality. Not only has his father passed but, as if to mock the very memory of the former king, Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and queen, has married again within two months. This shock is further compounded by the fact the her new husband is none other than her former brother-in-law, Claudius. Unable to return to the university due to his over whelming despair, Hamlet is trapped by his loving parents and not allowed to leave Denmark until certified well. It is at this time he receives word from his friend Horatio that the spirit of his father has returned and walks the night. During the Elizabethan period of English literature, man and nature were thought to be linked as part of a "great chain of being". To Hamlet, the fact that his father had returned showed that this chain had been disrupted by some evil in the world of man. That he had returned as a ghost could mean only one thing, his death was not an accident. The ghost beseeches Hamlet to avenge him but warns him, "taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught . . . leave her to heaven". This statement by the ghost was left open enough for Hamlet to develop many questions about his mother's actual involvement in his father's death. At first, Hamlet's rage is confined to his uncle Claudius but quickly and violently shifts towards his mother, dwelling upon the horrible thought that she might have been involved. "Oh most pernicious women!" He screams, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!" Hamlet speaks as though he has temporarily forgotten his promise to his father and has become insane with anger. The insanity through anger is a reoccurring motif throughout the play. After Hamlet has simmered down to the point where he is again lucid, he vows to his friend Horatio that he will take revenge upon Claudius, and he will do so by acting insane until the time is right. It's clear by what the ghost has said that Claudius is guilty of murder, but what about Gertrude? She clearly disgusts Hamlet due to her hasty marriage.

How Far Was Edward Iv Responsible for His Own Deposition in 1470?

How far was Edward responsible for his own desposition in 1470? When Edward VI became King in 1461, he had to deal with some unfavourable circumstances. Edward had not executed his enemies; Henry VI, Prince Edward, or Margaret of Anjou, so they escaped to Scotland. This provided an alternative King for Edward's opponents to support. He was also a usurper to the throne, therefore the majority of the nobility that were still loyal to Henry VI could use this to their favour. Additionally, Edward did not control the distant parts of the country, especially the North of England and Wales.The Kingdom was extremely divided. There were still Lancastrian castles in the Midlands that needed to be captured and/or destroyed. His government was also in severe debt. Considering Edward's age and inexperience, it was unlikely he would be able to deal with this situation effectively and provide the best possible outcomes. However, some circumstances were actually quite favourable. Although he had to deal with a difficult situation, it would be practically impossible for Edward to do much worse than the disaster King who reigned before him, Henry VI.Edward had also proved his military credentials as a warrior King at the battles of Mortimer's Cross and Towton, showing he was not as incompetent a leader as Henry VI. He was also an ideal candidate for kingship because he was both tall and charismatic, and although he was a usurper to the throne, he was technically the strongest claimant. The beginning of Edward's first reign can be considered reasonably successful. Edward immediatly destroyed the remaining Lancastrian castles and tried to strengthen his power base by allowing a selected number of the nobility to help him, including Warwick, Montagu and Herbert.He also ordered the execution of the Earl of Oxford and his son after he discovered plots to kill the King. Then Edward, marched his army north where a Lancastrian- Scottish force invaded England, and defeated them. He also issued his close ally William Herbert to defeat opposition in Wales. However, soon after, Edward started to show his weaknesses. Edward decided he was going to try to win over some of his opposition, rather than show them no mercy. He welcomed Somerset, a leading Lancastrian to court and allowed him to join him in all his King-like events, such as hunting, jousting and even sharing the same sleeping quarters.Sir Ralph Percy, was also given back his castles as a sign of Edward's willingness to trust him. This proved unpopular among the Yorkist nobility, and rightly so, as in the end, both Somerset and Percy betrayed him by fleeing back to Henry and handing over their castles to the Scots. Finally, Somerset was recaptured and executed. Although Edward's mistake was not as severe as other mistakes, such as marrying Elizabeth Woodville, it was his first mistake proving his naivity and inexperience. His choice of wife was his most major mistake. Most English kings married foreign princes ses to create alliances and to increase diplomatic influence.It would also prevent an alliance between the Lancastrians and France. Edward knew that marrying Elizabeth Woodville, a woman from low nobility, would be considered a serious error, so he married her in secret. Her previous marriage was to a Lancastrian, Thomas Grey, another reason as to why he shouldn't have married her. In addition, Elizabeth Woodville had an extremely large family, which meant the King would have to reward his new family with patronage and titles. This created resentment among noble families, there was now less land and titles for them to gain and less places for leading nobles at court.The Woodvilles also invaded the marriage market significantly. Elizabeth's 5 sisters all married into important noble families, reducing the prospects of other Yorkist nobles. By 1475, Edward had split the nobility even more than it had been before and this was mainly his fault. Warwick, was increasingly resenting the Ki ng for a number of reasons. He had been negotiating with the King of France, Louis XI, to marry Bona of Savoy, a French princess to Edward. When he discovered that Edward had already married Elizabeth Woodville in secret, he was humiliated.As well as this, now that the Woodvilles were in the marriage buisness, Warwick's arrangements to marry his two daughters were now ruined. One of Elizabeth's sons, Thomas Grey married Anne Holland, who was meant to marry one of Warwick's nephews. Not only did he antagonize Warwick in the marriage industry, but he also implemented his own ideas in foreign policy, creating an alliance with Burgundy rather than France, therefore completely ignoring Warwick's suggestion. The traditional view of Edward's first reign was that he was too young and inexperienced to rule effectively, but by his second reign he controlled the situation much better.However, some historians such as Professor Carpenter have argued in opposition to this view. He did cope extrem ely well in both Lancastrian and foreign interference. He did not allow Warwick or the Woodvilles to dominate him, and by antagonizing Warwick he was proving his independance from the ‘Kingmaker'. Besides, Warwick was extremely difficult to please. He was not satisified even after he had recieved a number of titles and land. Edward did not give him land in Wales that he had originally requested because Edward desperately needed a wider power base, so he gave this land to the Herberts.Warwick was so ambitious, he was even willing to go against the Yorkist regime to get what he wanted. He joined forces with the King's brother, Clarence, as they both resented the Woodvilles. He did everything in his power to antagonize the King. He arranged for Clarence to marry one of his daughter's against the King's wishes. He also organised a rebellion against the King in the North. In doing so, he proved his extreme childish behaviour. Nobility were meant to ensure law and order, not provoke rebellion. He even organized a rebellion to make Clarence the King of England, which in hindsight, we know did not succeed.Warwick's traitory streak was on-going. He wanted to get rid of Edward VI by whatever means possible, even if it meant resorting to a French/Lancastrian alliance in 1470. He was now involving foreigners into the conflict. Warwick finally brought Henry VI back onto the throne in 1470, while Edward and his closest allies escaped the Kingdom. Overall, Edward was largely responsible for his desposition in 1470. Some of Edward's descions during his first reign can be justified, for example rewarding other nobles rather than Warwick to increase his power-base or keeping his traditional trading ally Burgundy to distance himself from Warwick.However, there are some descions that are injustifiable, mainly his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. If this descion wasn't made, he would have probably avoided a number of conflicts with Warwick. On the other hand, Warwick and man y other nobles were overly ambitious, and if he didn't antagonize him by marrying Elizabeth Woodville, it is likely that he would have antagonized him in any other descion he made. Warwick and Clarence should also take a large part of the responsibility as they were prepared to betray their own side in pursuit of their ambitions.

How Does a Parliamentary Government Work

A parliamentary government is a system in which the powers of the executive and legislative branches are intertwined as opposed to being held separate as a check against each others power, as the Founding Fathers of the United States demanded in the U.S. Constitution. In fact, the executive branch in a parliamentary government draws its power directly from the legislative branch. Thats because the top government official and members of his cabinet are chosen not by voters, as is the case in the presidential system in the United States, but by members of the legislature. Parliamentary governments are common in Europe and the Caribbean; they are also more common worldwide than presidential forms of government. What Makes a Parliamentary Government Different The method  by which the head of government  is chosen is the primary distinction between a parliamentary government and a presidential system. The head of a parliamentary government is chosen by the legislative branch and typically holds the title of Prime Minister, as is the case in the United Kingdom and Canada. In the United Kingdom, voters elect members of the  British House of Commons every five years; the party that secures a majority of seats then chooses members of the executive branch cabinet and prime minister. The prime minister and his cabinet serve as long as the legislature has confidence in them. In Canada, the lead of the political party that wins the most seats in parliament becomes the prime minister. By comparison, in a presidential system such as the one in place in the United States, voters elect members of Congress to serve in the legislative branch of government and choose the head of the government, the president, separately. The president and members of Congress serve fixed terms that are not dependent on the confidence of voters.  Presidents are limited to serving two terms, but there are no terms limits for members of Congress. In fact, there is no mechanism for removal of a member of Congress, and while there are provisions in the U.S. Constitution to remove a sitting president—impeachment and the 25th Amendment—theres never been a commander-in-chief forcibly removed from the White House. Parliamentary Government as a Cure for Partisanship Some prominent political scientists and government observers who bemoan the level of partisanship and gridlock in some systems, most notably in the United States, have suggested adopting some elements of a parliamentary government might help solve those problems. The University of California’s Richard L. Hasen raised the idea in 2013 but suggested such a change should not be undertaken lightly. Writing in â€Å"Political Dysfunction and Constitutional Change,† Hasen stated: â€Å"The partisanship of our political branches and mismatch with our structure of government raise this fundamental question: Is the United States political system so broken that we should change the United States Constitution to adopt a parliamentary system either a Westminster system as in the United Kingdom or a different form of parliamentary democracy? Such a move toward unified government would allow the Democratic or Republican parties to act in a unified way to pursue a rational plan on budget reform on other issues. Voters could then hold the party in power accountable if the programs it pursued were against voter preferences. It seems a more logical way to organize politics and insure that each party will have a chance to present its platform to the voters, to have that platform enacted, and to allow voters at the next election to pass on how well the party has managed the country. Why Parliamentary Governments Can Be More Efficient Walter Bagehot, a British journalist and essayist, argued for a parliamentary system in his 1867 work  The English Constitution. His primary point was that the separation of powers in government was not between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government but between what he called the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"dignified† and the â€Å"efficient.† The dignified branch in the United Kingdom was the monarchy, the queen. The efficient branch was everyone else who did the real work, from the prime minister and his cabinet down to the House of Commons. In that sense, such a system forced the head of government and legislators to debate policy on the same, level playing field instead of holding the prime minister above the fray. â€Å"If the persons who have to do the work are not the same as those who have to make laws, there will be a controversy between two sets of persons. The tax-imposers are sure to quarrel with tax-requirers. The executive is crippled by not getting the laws it needs, and the legislature is spoiled by having to act without responsibility; the executive becomes unfit for its name since it cannot execute what it decides on: the legislature is demoralized by liberty, by taking decisions of which others (and not itself) will suffer the effects.† The Role of Parties in a Parliamentary Government The party in power in a parliamentary government controls the office of the prime minister and all members of the cabinet, in addition to holding enough seats in the legislative branch to pass legislation, even on the most controversial issues. The opposition party, or the minority party, is expected to be vociferous in its objection to almost everything the majority party does, and yet it has little power to impede the progress of their counterparts on the other side of the aisle. In the United States, a party can control both houses of Congress and the White House and still fail to accomplish much. Akhilesh Pillalamarri, an international relations analyst, wrote in  National Interest:   A parliamentary system of government is preferable to a presidential system.  ...  The fact that a prime minister is held accountable to the legislature is a very good thing for governance. First, it means that the executive and his or her government are of a like mind with the majority of legislators, because prime ministers come from the party with a majority of seats in the parliament, usually. The gridlock evident in the United States, where the president is of a different party than the majority of Congress, is far less likely in a parliamentary system. List of Countries With Parliamentary Governments There are 104 countries that operate under some form of parliamentary government. Different Kinds of Parliamentary Governments There are more than half a dozen different kinds of parliamentary governments. They operate similarly but often have  different organizational charts or names for positions.   Parliamentary republic: In a parliamentary republic, there is both a president and a prime minister, and a parliament acting as the highest legislative body.  Finland operates under a parliamentary republic. The prime minister is chosen by parliament and acts as the head of government, a position responsible for directing the activities of the many federal agencies and departments. The president is elected by voters and oversees foreign policy and the national defense; he serves as the head of state.Parliamentary democracy: In this form of government, voters choose representatives in regular elections.  One of the largest parliamentary democracies is Australia, though its position is unique. While Australia is an independent nation, it shares a monarchy with the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II serves as the head of state, and she appoints a governor-general. Australia also has a prime minister.Federal parliamentary republic: In this form of government, the prime minister serve s as the head of government; he is chosen by the parliaments at the national and state levels, such as the system in Ethiopia.Federal parliamentary democracy:  In this form of government, the party with the greatest representation controls the government and the office of prime minister. In Canada, for example,  the Parliament is made up of three parts: the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons. For a bill to become law, it must go through three  readings followed by Royal Assent.  Self-governing parliamentary democracy: This  is similar to a parliamentary democracy; the difference is that the nations using this form of government are often colonies of another, larger country. The Cook Islands, for example, operate under a self-governing parliamentary democracy; the Cook Islands were a colony of New Zealand and now have what is called a free association with the larger nation.Parliamentary constitutional monarchy: In this form of government, a monarch serves as a cere monial head of state. Their powers are limited; the real power in a parliamentary constitutional monarchy rests with the prime minister. The United Kingdom is the best example of this form of government. The monarch and  head of state in the United Kingdom is  Queen Elizabeth II.Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy:  In the only instance of this government,  Malaysia, a monarch serves as the head of state and a prime minister serves as the head of government. The monarch is a king who serves as the paramount ruler of the land. The two houses of the parliament consist of one that is elected and one that is non-elected.Parliamentary democratic dependency: In this form of government, the head of state appoints a governor to oversee the executive branch of a country that is dependent on the homeland. The governor is the head of government and works with a cabinet appointed by a premier. A legislature is elected by voters. Bermuda is one example of a parliamentary democr atic dependency. Its governor is not elected by voters but appointed by the queen of England. Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.